gold leaf oyster salt cellars

Summer is my favorite time to entertain but even though we haven’t been hosting as much as we normally do this time of year (and while the rest of my house gets neglected due to all the fun we’ve been having) I’ve been making it a point to at least set out my favorite woven chargers, softest linen napkins and newly purchased bamboo flatware to make dinner for just the three of us a little more special every day.  I was so inspired by this gorgeous table setting I posted a couple weeks ago and, after noticing a fabulous pair of golden oyster salt cellars in the mix, I decided to bring a little of the sea to our table and make some myself.  I know lately I’ve proclaimed that every DIY I’ve done is the easiest in the history of ever, but this one seriously is!  And the best part is that these little beauties also make a wonderful hostess gift idea for summer barbeques and get togethers!  I know there’s a ton of tutorials out there for this but here’s how I did mine:

You’ll need:

Oyster shells

Paint brush

Liquid gold leaf (I used Classic Gold)

Food safe top coat

SCRUB.  The most important and time consuming part is cleaning the shells.  If you get yours from a restaurant or the beach, you want to make sure you scrub the heck out of them.  I soaked mine in a bucket of 3 parts water and 1 part bleach overnight and then laid them out on the driveway for a few days in the sun.  I then used a scrub brush and some Seventh Generation dish soap to clean them again. 

PAINT. Once they’re dry, use a stiff, flat paint brush to apply your liquid gold leaf, making sure to paint all the way to the edges.  I applied three coats, letting each one dry completely in between.

TOP COAT. Spray your food safe top coat and let dry overnight.

Aren’t they pretty?

I found the porcelain caviar spoons at Sur La Table for $1 each (sorry, I couldn’t find a link online!)

 Happy painting!!